Wire-stranding machine



Dec. 28, 1948. A. J. ROETTING WIRE-STRANDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Film April 18, 1947 A. J. ROETTING WIRE-STRANDING MACHINE Dec. 28, 1948.

Filed April 18, 1947 I 2 Sheecs-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 28, 1948 WIRE-STRANDING MACHINE Arthur J. Roetting,

New Haven, Conn, assignor to Wire Machinery Corporation of America,

Inc., New Haven, necticut Conn, a corporation of Con Application April 18, 1947, Serial No. 742,381

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a strandin machine, and more especially to a machine for twistin together two or more wires or strands to make a rope or cable. While the invention is shown as applied to a twinner for twisting together or crossing two wires or strands, it will be understood that it is applicable as well to a so-called tripler or quadder, that is, machines for twisting together three or four wires Machines of this character comprise a socalled flyer consisting usually of a pair of bowed or arch-shaped bars connected at their ends to trunnions rotatably mounted in suitable supporting standards. The trunnions are hollow, so that one of the wires or strands to be twisted is led through the hollow trunnion and over one of the carrying bars. Within the flyer is mounted a cradle which carries the reel containing the second wire or strand, and, as this is drawn out through the forward trunnion, the wire carried by the bar is twisted around it by rotation of the flyer.

In the past, the bowed or arched wire-carrying flyer bars have usually been rigid members formed of forged steel. The relatively rapid rotation of the flyer subjects these members to a considerable strain, and these bars tend to crystallize, thus limiting the speed at which the machine may be operated. Usually, such machines have not been operated at a speed greater than 700 revolutions per minute as this is the maximum speed that they will safely stand It is contemplated in the present invention to employ flexible fiyer bars, the bars comprising strands or cable of steel wire, these cables carrying guide brackets having openings or eyes through which the wire to be twisted is led. The flexible wire bars are connected at their ends to hollow trunnions mounted in suitable bearings car ried by the end frames or standards of the flyer structure, both of which trunnions are positively driven so that there will be no lag at one end of the flyer. It has been found that the employment of these flexible flyer bars will permit greater increased speed of the machine, thus correspondingly increasing the output. For example, machines having these flexible flyer bars have been operated in practice at 2000 revolutions per minute instead of a maximum of 700 revolutions per minute as was possible using rigid bars.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved device for stranding OrtWisting wires.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for stranding or twisting wires emin Figs. 2

bodying a flyer comprising a pair of trunnions connected by flexible flyer bars having guide brackets to which the wire or strand to be twisted is led.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for stranding 0r twisting wires or strands comprising a flyer consisting of a pair of trunnions connected by fiyer bars formed of cables or ropes of steel wire, whereby these wires will be flexible and will be capable of standing up under higher speeds of rotation than is the case with rigid bars.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a stranding machine embodying my invention, the flyer housing being shown in section to disclose the interior mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through. the iiyer mechanism of the device;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the fiyer mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the end portion of one of the flexible flyer bars;

Fig. 5 is a view through the wire-carrying guide bracket on line 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the securing nipple on the end of one of the flyer bars.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown in the drawings a machine for twisting or stranding wires comprising a supporting base l0 having mounted thereon a flyer mechanism designated generally by the numeral H and a motor 92. Also shown diagrammatically is a pay-01f reel it for one of the wires M, a capstan l5 for drawing the wires through the machine, and a take-up reel l6 upon which the twisted or stranded wires are reeled as they are drawn from the machine.

The fiyer mechanism is shown more especially and 3. This mechanism consists of end standards I! and i8 upon which are mounted suitable bearing blocks 10 and 20, in which blocks the fiyer trunnions 2! and 22 are rotatably carried by suitable ball bearings 23 and 24. The flyer trunnions are hollow, as shown at 25 and 26. and, as will be hereinafter explained, the wire M passes into the machine through the bore .25 of the trunnion 2i, and the two wires to be twisted are drawn from the machine through the .bore 25 of the trunnion 22.

The trunnions are provided with annular flanges 21 and 28 against which are seated c01- lars 29 and 39, these collars having openings 3i and 32 therein for the wires, and being rigidly secured to the trunnions to rotate therewith. The collars Z9 and also carry brackets 33 and 34, to which brackets the flyer bars are secured, as will be -hereinafterexplained.

The body portions or" the flyer bars comprise flexible cables, and, while a single cable may be used, I prefer to employ a pair of cables for each.

flyer bar, as shown at 35 and 36. The ends of these cables are brought together andseeured in nipples 3i and 38, these nipples inturnbeing.secured in the brackets 33 and 3ll-by nuts 39.and,40-,. so that the cables 35 and 36 will be: efiectively secured at their ends to the collars 29 and 30 and through these collars to. thetrunnions 2.|. and 22.

As shown more especially in Figs 4 and:5 guide brackets are secured transversely across the cables 35 and; 35. As illustrated, these. guide brackets are formed. in halves 42 and: 43,, these halt portions being clamped upon the cables 35 and 36 by screws 14, so that they will be tightly secured to the-cables, the brackets having complemental openings 45. and 46 through whichv the cables pass. Eachoi these guide brackets-isalso provided. with an opening 41 in. which ismounted a, tubular wire guide 48 for the passage therethrough. of the wire M. While I do notwishto be limited tothe exact material employed, I prefer to form the guide bracket parts- 42 and 43a of Duralumin. These wire guides are connected across, or in spanning relation: with, the cables. 35 and- 35 and hold the latter together, as well as providing guides for the passage of thewir-e along the flyer bar which the cables form.

Also, as shownin Figs. 2 and 3, a cradle 58 is supported atits ends upon theends ofthe trunnions 2| and 22 by suitablebearings 5| and 52. This cradle is provided with half steps- 53 to support the arbor 5d of a reel 55.--carrying the Wire- 56 which is to be twinned with thewire M. It will be understood that, while the fiyer comprising thetrunnions 2| and 22 and the-flyer bars comprising the cables 35 and 36" rotates, the-cradle remains at rest, this relative rotation of the cradle and fiyer being permitted by the bearingsit and 52. Within the rear end of the trunnion 2-! is mounted a bell-mouthed wire guide 51, so that the wire i M may enter the bore of 'thetrunnion 2 lsmoothly, and a similar guide 58: is provided adjacent the other end of thetrunnion' for the exit of the wire; from which guide the wire passes through an opening in the trunnion and through the opening i i: in the col; larr2fi toitheguides 53 in the brackets onthe flyer bar. The trunnion at the forward end of the .fiyer is also provided With a bell-mouthed guide 59 for the wire 56 and a similar guide 60 for the wire M as it enters the bore of the trunnion through the opening 32 of the collar 30. At its extremeforward end, the trunnion 22" is provided with the closing die El within which the wires are kept separate and from which they issue from the flyer in twisted relation. It will be understood that, as is the usual practice, the wires are drawn through the fiyer by the capstan Upon each of the trunnions 2i and 22 is provided a sprocket 62' about which is trained a driving-chain 63 also trained around sprockets it. on. the main drive shaft 65, which shaft is rotated by the motor l2 through the'coupling-fifi.

Imthe operation-ofthemachine; the wire I4 4 is brought through the hollow trunnion 2i and through the guide brackets of one of the flyer bars and led into the bore of the trunnion 22 through the opening 32 and guide 60. The other wire 56 is delivered by the reel and led into the bore of the trunnion 22 through the guide 59 where, during; the rotation. of the fiyer, both wires are drawnout through the closing die 6! in twisted relation by the capstan l5 and are P reeled up by the take-up reel l6.

As above described, only one of the fiyer bars is actively employed. However, two are provided in order that the fiyer will be properly balanced for high-speed operation, and it will be understood that in case more than two wires are to be twisted, as in a tripler mechanism, for example, the other flyer bar will also carry one of the wires. It is understood that both flyer bars will be similarly constructed with the wire guide brackets thereon.

Due tothe construction of the flyer bars and their. flexibility, the device may be run at speeds approximating threetimes that of which similar devices are; capable at the present time. It Will also'be noted that both trunnions 2i and 22 are positively driven at the same speeds, so that there will be no tendency to twist the flexible fiyer bar cables or for one end of the flyer to lag behind the other.

While I have shownand described a preferred embodiment of' my-invention, it will beunderstood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit" of the inventionand withinthescope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1-. A- wire-stranding machine comprising a stand, aflyer rotatably mounted therein, said flyer comprising spaced trunnions, and carriers connectingv said'trunnions, each of said carriers comprising a flexible metallic cable connected at its ends to the trunnions, said cable being longer than the distance between the trunnions and archedrbetween said trunnions.

2. A wire stranding machine comprising a stand, aflyer rotatably mounted therein; said flyer comprising spaced trunnions, carriers connecting said trunnions, each of said carriers comprising a flexible metallic cable connected at'its ends to the trunnions, said cable being longer than the distance'between the trunnions and arched between said trunnions, and wire-carrying brackets secured to'the cable.

3. A wire-stranding machine comprising a stand; a flyer rotatably mounted therein, said fiyer comprising spaced trunnions, carriers connecting said trunnions, each of said carriers comprising a flexible metallic cable connected at its ends tothe trunnions, saidcable being longer than the distance between the trunnions and arched between said trunnions, wire-carrying brackets secured to the cable, and each of said brackets having a guide opening therethrough for the passage of a wire.

4. A wire-stranding machine comprising a stand, a flyer rotatably mounted therein, said fl'yer comprising spaced trunnions, carrier-s connecting said trunnions, each of said carriers comprising a pair of flexible cables secured at their ends to the trunnions and arched. between said trunnions, and wirecarrying brackets connect'ed at intervals to said cables and extending transversely between the cables.

5. A. wire-stranding machine comprising a stand; a. flyer rotatably mounted therein, said flyer comprising spaced trunnions, carriers connecting said trunnion-s, each of said carriers comprising a pair of flexible cables secured at their ends to the trunnions and arched between said'trunnions, wire-carrying brackets connected at intervals to said cables and extending transversely between the cables, and each of said brackets having an opening between the cables for the passage of a wire therethrough.

16. A wire-stranding machine as in claim 1, wherein is included means for positively driving both of said trunnions at the same speed of rotation.

7. A wire-stranding machine as in claim 1, having a suitably mounted drive shaft extending parallel to the axis of the trunnions, and; a separate driving connection from said shaft to each of said trunnions to drive the latter at the same speed of rotation.

ARTHUR J. ROE'I'IING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS are of record in the Germany Jan. 16, 1933 

